Pro-democracy demonstrators in Cairo are calling for a million-strong protest in the Egyptian capital's Tahrir Square on the fourth day of unrest against the interim military regime.

The Egyptian health ministry says the death toll from confrontations between protesters and police around the country has reached 28 - 26 had died in Cairo, one in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria and one in the canal city of Ismailiya.

The protesters are demanding an end to military rule which has been in place since Hosni Mubarak was ousted as president in February.

Parliamentary elections are scheduled in Egypt next Monday - but would still grant considerable power to the military.

The staggered election process for the upper and lower houses will not be complete until mid-March.

The military-appointed cabinet, made up of civilians, has offered to resign in response to the protests, but it was rejected by military leaders.

The mass rally has been organised by similar groups and activists involved in the uprising in February.

By Monday night (local time), tens of thousands of people had packed into Tahrir Square as clashes with police and soldiers continued.

Egyptian politicians have demanded that parliamentary polls proceed on time, as a crisis meeting called by generals got underway.

The ruling army council asked political parties and other actors to join the talks after the cabinet's offer of resignation.

"Elections must be held on time and we will push for a specific timetable for the transitional period," said Saad el-Katatni, secretary-general of the Muslim Brotherhood, which expects to do well in the election.

The Brotherhood and four other parties, as well as four presidential candidates, were due to attend the talks.

The Brotherhood said on Monday it wanted a handover to civilian rule no later than mid-2012, adding that changing the government could wait until after parliamentary elections.

The liberal Wafd party also said there should be no delay, provided that the government gave guarantees that security forces were capable of ensuring the safety of voters.

"We demand that elections are held on time, no doubt to ensure the transitional period stays the course," said Emad Abdel Ghafour, head of the Islamist Salafi Nour (Light) Party.

He said the party also wanted the removal of the interior and information ministers whose actions had been "disappointing".

New constitution

Amr Moussa, a leading presidential candidate and former head of the Arab League, echoed the call for parliamentary polls to go ahead as planned, but said: "Presidential elections must follow suit within six months after that."

The military's timetable calls for the new parliament to choose a 100-member constituent assembly to draw up a new constitution within six months.

Only after a referendum approves the document, does it envisage a presidential election.

The council, which has exercised presidential powers since Mr Mubarak's overthrow in February, would thus be likely to stay in control until late 2012 or early 2013.

Youthful protest groups were staying away from the meeting between politicians and generals.

"The revolutionary youth are not holding dialogue with the military council. The dialogue is going on in Tahrir square, not behind closed doors with the generals," said Khaled Mardeya, a spokesman for the January 25 Revolution Coalition.

Anger against the military council exploded this month after a cabinet proposal to set out constitutional principles that would permanently shield the army from civilian oversight.

Opponents of military rule have demanded that the generals make way immediately for a national salvation government of civilians to manage Egypt's transition to democracy.